I put it down for a year but once I re-started it, I finished it in very little time, comparatively speaking. I really like it - now I just need to see how the cotton washes up. If this signifies being on a roll, I have about a half-dozen projects that need to be finished; the Minimalist Cardigan, the Clinton Vest, some felted slippers, a sweater I started more than a decade ago for my husband (!) and the second sock of a pair of socks that is about 2/3 complete but I lost my will. My husband has big feet. Anyway, I'm liking Emmaline and can't wait to wear it.

]]>Sun, 13 May 2012 16:58:51 GMThttp://www.yarnnurse.com/nurse-julies-blog/another-way-to-use-essential-oilI'm still knitting the Clinton Vest and still enjoying how it looks and feels, but wanted to talk about my new mini-crockpot, which I got as a bonus with my new crockpot. Why I should have needed a new crockpot after having the other "deluxe" model for a mere 12 years is another post, or better yet, why the new one feels like you could poke your finger through the aluminum exterior pot is another post, too, but I digress.I put some water in the mini-crockpot and added drops of various complementary essential oils (in today's version: mandarin, lavender, bergamot and rosemary), and plugged it in (with the lid off), and my room is filling with a lovely scent. Happy Mother's Day to all mothers and those who are in the role of mother.]]>Wed, 09 May 2012 22:52:31 GMThttp://www.yarnnurse.com/nurse-julies-blog/cotton-can-be-funI'm knitting a neat pattern: Clinton Vest in Tahki's Ripple, (pattern here) in a colour of olive that's going to go with so much (colour #16). It's fun so far. Picture soon.]]>Wed, 11 Apr 2012 22:48:47 GMThttp://www.yarnnurse.com/nurse-julies-blog/books-i-will-now-be-readingI've been stock-piling books (buying and borrowing) while I was working and taking courses and knitting, waiting for the time to be right. In no particular order (yet), these are the books I will be reading now:Girls Fall Down by Maggie Helwig - started this today - lovely prose.Prisoner of Tehran. A Memoir. by Marina Nemat.Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin.The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt.A Stranger Like You by Elizabeth Brundage.Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell.Second Honeymoon by Joanna Trollope.Irma Voth by Miriam Toews.So excited! Feel free to suggest more.]]>Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:05:41 GMThttp://www.yarnnurse.com/nurse-julies-blog/somewhat-disappointedMy soon-to-be 84-year-old mother fell on February 29 at 4 a.m., on my last day at my previous job (thus a day when I had to be on-site, to hand in my security badge, to say nothing of my obligation to say goodbye to staff etc.), and fractured her pelvis. We were all relieved it wasn't her hip and must note that her 30 years of treatment for osteoporosis had to have helped. She was admitted to the hospital with a plan to go from there to rehab and then home.So, I cast on a simple-looking bed jacket using Lion Brand Homespun in a lovely colourway called "Painted Desert". After taking care of some basic math problems with the pattern, it was coming along nicely but looked loosey-goosey and I wondered if it would fit like the cape it sort of looked like in the pattern. Now that it's finished, the simple answer is, "No, it does not look like a cape." It's cute, and it will probably look and feel nice, but I would like more of a neck. See:

So, while not unhappy with it, I am not really happy with it, either. I'll see what mom thinks. She's home and going to outpatient physio weekly, and supposedly doing exercises daily at home. So, the bed jacket is a tad too late for its intended purpose, but I'm sure she'll like it, anyway.

]]>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:02:50 GMThttp://www.yarnnurse.com/nurse-julies-blog/taking-advice-from-william-shatnerI was watching an interview with William Shatner the other evening, and he said he has no intention of retiring, because why would he want to stop doing what he loves? He noted that he has heard people say they can't wait to retire so they can start doing things they want to do, and he commented on how sad that is. Yes, it is. And yet, I have never "loved" what I do to earn money. I have had jobs that I have enjoyed and been happy to go to work (happy - not excited, not passionate) but I have never to my knowledge, loved a job. I recall a tongue-in-cheek Facebook status update wherein I asked why I can't be paid to read, knit and drink beer, but so far, no offers. I hate to sound whiny, and would rather sound proactive. I should be actively seeking a job I could love. I did apply to Chapters, thinking the minimum wage would be offset by my enjoyment of being around books, but no-go. Perhaps they prefer students and retirees rather than employable (in theory) nurses with degrees and a long job history. I should probably be self-employed. I would love to spend my days attending courses and learning, but I can't be paid for that. I need to give this some thought, clearly. ]]>Sun, 13 Nov 2011 01:30:52 GMThttp://www.yarnnurse.com/nurse-julies-blog/finished-a-gift-projectfinished-my-last-classread-or-knit-moreSo, I finished a Tomten jacket for the baby girl of a co-worker. It was late, because she left work early and then I lost my will to get it done before she left, since there was no chance I could do that. School work kept interfering, but that's done, too, so now I have a choice: finish some of my WIPs (Emmaline, Minimalist Cardigan, to mention but two), or read some of the books I've bought but not read (at least three). Decisions, decisions. Anyway, here's the Tomten:

]]>Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:18:32 GMThttp://www.yarnnurse.com/nurse-julies-blog/knitting-with-dpnsSo, slow knitter that I am, I am only just now approaching the sleeves of Emmaline. To date I have knit small circumference items using two circulars, but I don't have two circulars of the right size for this top, so bought a set of five bamboo double-points at Len's Mill. (I love Len's Mill - we don't have them in Toronto, so when I discovered the Guelph Len's Mill store I was amazed - it's a bit like a small Honest Ed's or a big BiWay, with yarn and needles in one section. I still do a lot of yarn shopping on-line but when you just want a set of needles or some reliable feltable Patons Classic Wool, it's the place.) Anyway, some of the on-line tutorials for knitting with DPNs are a bit awful. I like this one from Knit Picks: http://www.knitpicks.com/tutorials/Double_Pointed_Needles__D118.html It's to the point (no pun actually intended). I'll see how it goes. ]]>Sat, 06 Aug 2011 17:18:06 GMThttp://www.yarnnurse.com/nurse-julies-blog/holidays-are-fleetingI can't believe the two weeks are up and I have to go to work on Monday.The cottage was good. We were there from Sunday to Wednesday, when the rain and the dog made going home look appealing. Our dog turned out to be woefully upset by being uprooted from her home base - why we didn't remember that from a past trip to the cottage escapes me - and we were unable to take day trips, so we'd had enough by the 4th day. I watched the entire 3rd season of Dexter on the DVD player while there, did a tiny bit of knitting (very hot in Muskoka) and some cool crossword puzzles. I enjoyed Dexter so much I've just bought the 4th season. Starting a new class online - the 5th of 5 needed for a certificate as an educator of adults, so looking forward to that. Must get some knitting done. ]]>Sat, 30 Jul 2011 22:30:07 GMThttp://www.yarnnurse.com/nurse-julies-blog/not-at-the-cottage-yetWe're supposed to be heading to my brother-in-law's cottage for a few days, but haven't left yet. Food-poisoning has stricken the prodigal son, so I need to make sure he's on the mend before we leave him home holding the fort. While at the cottage, I'll be working on: